Ever wanted to adopt a gargoyle?

Milan
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To help preserve the cathedral and to raise vital funds, Milan's Duomo cathedral is seeking to raise 25 million euros for renovations through an 'adopt a gargoyle' campaign.

A gargoyle might not be the type of sculpture to dedicate to your loved one. However, dedicating one to yourself, or for some other cause, is a step that can be taken to help preserve some of the magnificent medieval creations affixed to Milan's main cathedral.

The Duomo cathedral in Milan is a Gothic cathedral that took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fourth largest cathedral in the world. The cathedral is dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan.

Due to cuts in the Italian culture budget, which is the result of the euro crisis impacting upon the Italian government, the cathedral has fallen short of funds.

To help raise funds, donors who contribute 100,000 euros ($127,000) to the Gothic building can have their names engraved under a gargoyle.

A gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between. Gargoyles are most often associated with medieval times where gargoyles were used to assist the Church in conveying messages to the common people.